This paper describes the response of one locality, a rural county in Western Massachusetts, to the reality of rural homelessness. Jessie's House, in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, is a short-term emergency shelter providing meals, housing, and advocacy to homeless families and individuals. The shelter has a staff of three full-time residents and two part-time nonresident staff, serving about 18 "guests" each night. The program operates on a model that attempts to adapt itself to the particular needs of homeless people in the rural area. The report details the following 5 ideas central to the Jessie's House model: (1) a cooperative household that accepts a wide variety of members; (2) an ecological relationship with the community in order to provide the homeless with the assistance they need; (3) a network of responses addressing the many needs of homeless people; (4) a team approach to service delivery, sustaining staff in a collaborative manner; and (5) responsiveness of feedback, assuring that the program will adapt to changing causes of homelessness. The paper also describes changes staff have made in the program since its founding. In 1985, the primary need of homeless people was perceived to be support services, and the Jessie's House staff worked to help other agencies develop and manage support programs. Today the perceived need is for low-cost housing, and Jessie's House is working to develop it. The paper emphasizes the importance of Jessie's House as a specific and flexible community response to the problem of rural homelessness. (TES)